Police Open Fire In Shopian, 5 Injured

8 June 2009The Hindu

Srinagar: Five civilians were injured, two critically, on Monday when the police opened fire on a procession at Pinjoora village near Shopian town in Jammu and Kashmir. The protest march was taken out against the alleged rape and murder of two women of Shopian. The area had been on the boil for the past one week over the issue. The Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) on Sunday confirmed that the women were sexually assaulted before they died. The police have registered a First Information Report under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code. Police sources told The Hindu that the report by the FSL confirmed that Neelofar (22), who was pregnant, and Asiya (17) were sexually assaulted before their death last week. Reports reaching here said that when the procession was heading towards Shopian, it was stopped by the police and the CRPF and asked to go back. However, when the slogan-shouting protesters surged ahead, police resorted to lathi-charge and fired teargas shells. As this failed, witnesses said, the security forces opened fire and five people were injured. A senior police official, however, told TheHindu that police used rubber pellets and four people received injuries. A general strike crippled life in the Valley for the eighth consecutive day. The strike was called by separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who has been arrested along with other leaders Shabir Shah and Naeem Khan. He had called for a “Shopian march” on Monday, but the police imposed curfew and erected barricades on all roads leading to the town. No civilian movement was allowed.